What Mets' Carlos Mendoza has heard from Steve Cohen amid brutal losing streak

Earlier this week, multiple New York Mets players publicly voiced their support for manager Carlos Mendoza amid what was already a brutal losing streak for the club. 

That was before what was once a 7-4 team fell to 7-16 via a 5-3 home loss to the Minnesota Twins (12-11) on Tuesday night. 

Before the Mets' latest collapse, Mendoza revealed that he had heard from big-spending team owner Steve Cohen during what have become the darkest days of the manager's tenure. 

Carlos Mendoza has Steve Cohen's support despite losing streak?

"Steve has been great," Mendoza insisted, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. "It’s good to hear from him and how supportive he’s been." 

Mendoza can't be blamed for the fact that his lineup produced little of note on Tuesday outside of the three-run home run crushed by shortstop Francisco Lindor in the bottom of the third inning. It's also not the skipper's fault that closer Devin Williams imploded during a ninth-inning meltdown that was followed by the Mets offense being retired in order in the bottom half of the frame. 

"It sucks," Mendoza said about the Mets failing to notch a win after they handed potential future ace Nolan McLean a three-run advantage. "It sucks because you’re feeling good, especially with the way the game was developing."

Francisco Lindor shares harsh truth about return of Juan Soto

The Mets have been without star outfielder Juan Soto throughout their losing streak due to the right calf strain he suffered on April 3. Soto is expected to return to the lineup for Wednesday's matchup versus the Twins at Citi Field, but Lindor understands one person can't save the Mets' season this spring. 

"We can’t wait for [Juan] to come back and do his thing," Lindor acknowledged, per Chelsea Janes of SNY. " At the end of the day, I hope everybody doesn’t put all the pressure on him. That would be a little unfair. But I know he’s going to help us a ton. He’s a top three-hitter in the league."

As Newsday's David Lennon noted, Mendoza is in the final season of his three-year contract that includes a club option for 2027. If Soto doesn't prove to be a savior for the last-place Mets, Cohen may decide that keeping Mendoza through the summer makes little sense.